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Classic Tucson Food for Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner

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Originally published at nicandcam.com

Cam & I have been visiting Tucson since we were babies. Our Pappou & Yia-Yia lived there. Aunts & uncles were there. Cousins in our general age range were there. And, we very much associated Thanksgiving & Christmas with being in Tucson (& eating!). Food is memories and time and family and so many things (other than just plain nourishment). When we weren’t eating holiday meals, though, other Tucson food was calling! Here are some of our faves.

Classic Tucson Food

Breakfast = Bobo’s Restaurant

Bobo’s Restaurant has been around for more than 40 years. It’s a wonder that they haven’t yet been featured on “Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives,” because Bobo’s would fit right in. Bobo’s is so well known in Tucson that they hardly need any advertisement. The small dining room is always packed, and the wait time is often long. We planned it just right on our last visit. We arrived around 9:00 a.m. on a Tuesday, and although the dining room was quite full, we got a table for 5 in no time.

The staff at Bobo’s is friendly and attentive. Our coffee never got cold!

Bobo's Restaurant Tucson

This blueberry pancake was so big, it was hanging over the edge of the plate! It was chock full of blueberries too!

Bobo's Restaurant Tucson

The ultimate (read: our favorite) item at Bobo’s is the banana pancake. This is no ordinary banana pancake though. There are bananas, sure. But, there’s also a crispety, crunchety, cinnamony, sugary layer of goodness to devour. This is ONE banana pancake. I’m getting hungry!

Bobo's Restaurant Tucson

Lunch = Eegee’s

When I think about Tucson food, Eegee’s is usually the first thing that comes to mind. In 1971, two friends started selling their lemon frozen fruit drink from what could probably be considered one of Tucson’s first food trucks. My memories of Eegee’s begin in the early 1990s. The day after Christmas, we would “cash in” our Christmas checks at the Bank of Mom & Dad and head to the Tucson Mall. We would cruise through the Guess? store, Esprit, Benetton, Swatch, and probably check out the Keds at the department store. For lunch, we would head to the food court. Among all the choices available, we would always choose Eegee’s. Why would we want anything else? We had all the other options available to us at home. (P.S. These were also the years when we perfected scouting for tables in a crowded food court.)

Besides our shopping day lunch breaks, Eegee’s fueled me many an afternoon when I attended the University of Arizona. I would leave school, head to the Eegee’s drive-thru, and proceed to my afternoon job. Those were the days!

Eegee’s is now most often our first stop on the way into Tucson and our last stop on the way out!

Along with their frozen fruit drinks, Eegee’s is also well-known for their sandwiches and fries.

THIS is an Eegee.

Eegee's Tucson

My favorite flavor combination is pina colada & strawberry. YUM! Their other always-on-the-menu flavor is lemon (think: frozen lemonade). There is also a rotating Flavor of the Month. I tend to always come back to my favorites though! Although they’re called frozen fruit drinks, I always consume mine with a spoon.

Eegee's Tucson

This is me (Nic) very much looking forward to enjoying my lunch!

Eegee's Tucson

THIS is the Eegee’s Grinder.

Eegee's Tucson

THESE are the world-reknowned (well…they are really good) Eegee’s fries, along with the world-reknowned (also really good) Eegee’s Ranch!

Eegee's Tucson

There is no shortage of hashtag love for all things Eegee’s.

Eegee's Tucson

Dinner = Caruso’s

Caruso’s is living history in the Tucson food world. Since 1938, homemade Italian food has been served by four generations of the Zagona family. Caruso’s is located in Tucson’s 4th Avenue District, which is called “the heartbeat of Tucson.” Besides pizza, pasta, and other Italian specialties, Caruso’s is known for their unlimited garlic bread! Parking can be a little crazy, but on our last visit, we found a great spot on the street only a block away.

Caruso's Tucson

I would have been quite okay if this was just a bubbling dish of cheeses and red sauce. Somewhere under that layer of deliciousness, though, is Caruso’s Lasagne al Forno (Baked Lasagna). Their menu calls it “our all-time favorite,” and I would have to agree. It was amazing!

Caruso's Tucson

Although the Tucson food options have expanded over the years and now include many new foodie finds, these Tucson food classics are still not to be missed when you’re in the “Old Pueblo.”

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Which classic eats bring back memories in your travels? Please share in the comments below!

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Nicolette Kay is the founder of Semi-Budget Travel®. She has been traveling the world since junior high, and in 2005, she began single-handedly planning all aspects of semi-budget travel for various family & friends. She has visited more than 20 countries around the world, and is always thinking about…Where to travel next? How to get a good deal? What would be worth splurging on? She helps thousands of people per month plan their fabulous, yet affordable, semi-budget travel.

7 thoughts on “Classic Tucson Food for Breakfast, Lunch, & Dinner”

  1. I’ll take the three places in consideration when I visit Tucson. When it comes to food, I’m always game to try new places. Especially those that carry tradition and are a must. Thanks for sharing the existence of these places!

  2. OMG. It all looks so scrumptious!! I am now craving Italian food and would love to try the drink combo. .

  3. My daughter might be moving to Arizona. I’ll have to keep this at my fingertips for reference!

  4. Another place to add to my Bucket List of travel ideas! Great pics and all of these look so yummy!!!

  5. Those all look really good! The banana pancake – yum! And the grinder! And don’t get me started on the Italian place. Looks good. This article is making me hungry!

  6. Whoa those pancakes at Bobo’s! Also noticed the name on the table. The Strawberry Pina Colada mix looks so refreshing!

    Every time we see fish and chips on the menu, we start thinking about London. Haven’t found the same deliciousness yet in SD but have yet to visit some of the local English pubs.

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